Pep Guardiola's bold gambles send huge Man City statement to Real Madrid

And while we're at it, Real Madrid? The Spanish champions may have been able to put their feet up for a week to prepare for their Champions League quarter-final with the Blues but Carlo Ancelotti can't have taken much enjoyment from watching two different City teams pick up six important Premier League points against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Not that it looked that way three minutes in at Selhurst Park with the home team already a goal to the good after two basic errors from John Stones. If it was a positive to see him again in a City shirt for the first time since Liverpool away last month, there was clear evidence of rust as he gave the ball away and then was unable to stop Jean-Philippe Mateta powering past him and finishing past Stefan Ortega.

It felt much later than the 13th minute when De Bruyne curled an unstoppable effort into the far corner from just inside the left-hand side of the penalty area, so intense had City's pressure been. De Bruyne then played a defence-splitting ball through for Haaland but the Norwegian couldn't sort his feet out in time as he shifted the ball onto his left and Henderson saved well.

City still weren't stable enough to be able to call the game safe, but as the clock ticked past 65 minutes Grealish did well to find the run of De Bruyne, who beat the offside trap and laid it across for Haaland to tap in his 30th goal of the season - not a bad effort for a League Two striker. Minutes later, De Bruyne lashed in his second of the afternoon as City moved to within one goal of Liverpool as well as level on points.

That is now five in six, and Liverpool and Arsenal will not have watched this week easily to see City respond to their drab draw against the Gunners last week. Mikel Arteta was congratulating his side last week but they kicked off against Brighton under pressure to move ahead of the Blues again.

Kevin De Bruyne Jack Grealish Pep Guardiola

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